Seeing Change Take Place
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Some Christians don’t understand where they are spiritually and morally, because they are blinded by the seemingly high moral and spiritual demands of the Gospels. This seemingly impossible standard of expectation (love thy neighbor as thyself, etc.) shows them they are sinners. As sinners they are in need of the redemptive love of God shown on the cross. They then may view salvation as a gift, not earned. Then they may take the lazy way, do nothing, thank God for His suffering for others, but not doing any suffering of their own for others. Their religion may then degenerate mostly to going to church meetings, worship, and performing hemi-semi-demi-rituals. Their spiritual growth and moral awareness seem frozen or arrested. Scripture says that faith without works is dead. Expanding spiritual awareness, service to others, and Christian actions are very vital parts of faith. The way to grow or encourage growth is to size up spiritually and morally what you are, or what is, being quite honest. Then take little steps daily or regularly in the right direction for you to go. Slip small Christian actions out of any faith you have. Fit actions to the music of your faith. Add actions like words to the lyric of your feelings about Christ. Take care that the words from your heart are not so sentimental, gushy and vapid that they turn the stomach. Try to say things without using threadbare clichés that have been worn out so they have lost effect on the hearers. People have often become immune to religious terms through overuse. Above all, pray your way forward. Use praying, studying, and creative thinking (in the bounds of faith) to put down imagined tracks for that real engine which is your energy to utilize later. By prayer and discussion in groups, lay plans for action. First have an idea, then a vision, then you need a plan. In this plan lay down tracks and plans for good energies to take. But remember as actualities take place, plans grow, adapt and change in Christ. Adjust Christ to the circumstances and the reality of things. Remember feeling and doing must march in cadence, left foot, right foot. No feeling in morality and no emotional satisfaction in work, make the march to God like a group of killer ants marching across jungles, creating desolation where ever they go. There is little worse than mean morality without a touch of pity. There is little worse than emotionally unsatisfying work that drains us dry. We need joy in developing a morality that will help others. For without our morality, how can others live decent lives? Nor should we forget the enjoyment of this world and God. God did not put us here only to work and moralize. How drab such a religious outlook would be! God has put us here to share the enjoyment of life and the good things of creation. Satisfying work must have joy in it. In all we do, there Christ should be! If there is not any love in it, we should ask ourselves why we are doing it? If there is no loving protection of others in our morality, why develop it? Morality is not hateful. It is a service of protection, love and security we give others from imposing spiritual order upon ourselves. Remember little things well done, steps taken in the right direction, help us see ourselves spiritually growing. We get a sense of accomplishment. We feel ourselves changing as we grow. We may not experience a completely transformed life, as few do, but we have a warmer life. One with more grace. For I am well convinced grace acted upon brings down more grace. Little acts of grace prime the pumps of Heaven for bigger outpourings. Wesley said of his awareness of Christ at a meeting, that his heart was strangely warmed. "As we do little bits and pieces, we know how we are not perfect, nor ever will be on earth, but we are, nevertheless, being pulled upwards in grace by the magnet that is God’s love drawing us towards Him. We are aware our hearts through small Christians actions done have been ‘strangely' warmed.” We see how we are changing as we bring to the dark aspects of life the comforts of Christ. We live the Gospel by doing the little acts of love and kindness that we can. Therefore under the spirit of Christ make your own unique life of Christ response to the circumstances around you. |
